Chapter – 05
I quickly looked around, hoping to grab at least the navy shawl I had taken off earlier, but it seemed the maids had already put everything away—it was nowhere to be found.
Flustered, I noticed Yulion entering the room without a sound.
“What are you doing?”
“Huh? Ah, I’m… not done yet.”
I wasn’t fully dressed. Or rather, I was dressed, but my outfit was embarrassingly insufficient.
Since Yulion and I were in a contract marriage, there was no expectation of a first-night scenario. Still, with the maids and servants present, I couldn’t speak freely.
Yulion glanced at my hesitant movements, then silently removed the robe he was wearing.
“You look cold. Put this on.”
In an instant, his robe draped over my shoulders, and warmth spread through me. I didn’t refuse; it felt good.
“Thank you.”
Yulion’s hair was damp, as if he’d just bathed. But compared to me, he was still properly dressed. He had taken off his robe for me, but underneath, he wore a neat, fitted sleeping garment.
“All may leave.”
At his command, the servants and maids quickly exited the room.
With a soft thud, the door closed, and he strode over to sit on the edge of the bed.
“I thought you might be curious, so I’ll tell you—Hemion Martin is safe.”
Since the wedding had gone straight into the reception, there had been no way to check on Hemion, who was under the crown prince’s protection. I had wanted to ask, so I thanked him for bringing it up first.
“Thank you for telling me. Would it be alright if I brought him to my palace tomorrow?”
“Do as you wish.”
Yulion’s cheerful approval made me exhale in relief. Even though he had been given an antidote, there were still other medications Hemion needed. His symptoms had been severe; leaving him untreated could have caused further complications.
As I thought this through, Yulion gestured to the spot beside him.
“Aren’t you going to lie down?”
“…Huh?”
“You’re not sleeping?”
“Ah, no. I have to.”
Awkward.
The tension was almost suffocating. Yulion, seemingly unaware of my inner turmoil, slid into the blankets with a calm, expressionless face. I cautiously followed, lifting the covers and lying beside him.
Thank goodness the bed is big.
As long as I didn’t stretch my arms too wide, we wouldn’t touch. The warm covers wrapped around me, lulling me toward sleep.
“Rohiriel.”
Even if he hadn’t called my name, I would have dozed off instantly. I shifted slightly and replied.
“Yes. Speak.”
“…It seems the bruise has worsened.”
I instinctively pulled the blanket up to my neck.
“Bruises tend to look worse as time passes.”
“How do you know that so well?”
“That’s just common sense…”
“Not that.”
Yulion’s voice turned serious. He inhaled deeply and continued slowly.
“I mean the poison.”
Even his tone alone felt intimidating. I tried to choose my words carefully, but he pressed on.
“There are very few people in the empire who can immediately identify Hemion’s poisoning and even create an antidote so quickly.”
His concern was valid. Hemion’s poison was notoriously tricky. I smoothed the edge of my pillow, answering casually.
“That may be true in the empire.”
“What do you mean?”
“As you know, my mother was a princess of Yalon. She was very knowledgeable in medicine.”
Yulion listened without flinching. I pulled the blanket a little closer around me.
“Yalon’s kingdom was weak and eventually fell, but its medical knowledge was superior to any place on the continent. The empire tends to look down on the scholarship of fallen states, though.”
“I’ve heard of that. There are a few physicians from Yalon in the imperial medical office—they are quite skilled.”
“That makes this easier to explain. I grew up learning many things from my mother, so…”
Naturally, I began telling him about my childhood. I kept the details brief, mindful of whether he might find it boring.
As I shifted slightly, something warm brushed my fingertips. Yulion, who had been completely still until then, may have flinched—or maybe not.
It was truly a perfect first night together.
“Vision, wake up.”
“Mm…”
“It’s almost lunchtime.”
I couldn’t open my eyes. Perhaps I overexerted myself yesterday. Gradually, Jenid’s words registered in my foggy mind.
“What?”
Suddenly, I was wide awake. Waking up at lunchtime on the first day as Crown Princess—what luck.
Getting out of bed felt like lifting a ton of weights. I frowned, and Jenid’s eyebrows lowered.
“Are you uncomfortable? Shall I call a physician?”
“No. More importantly, where’s Yulion?”
“He said he had urgent business this morning and went to his office.”
“Alright. Then help me get ready. We need to eat and have an audience with Her Majesty the Empress.”
After that, if time allowed, I planned to visit the palace gardens. My goal as Crown Princess was to find a few leaves of Aperium to cure my illness. If I managed that, the day would be a success.
After breakfast, as I was leaving the palace, a knight came running toward me.
“Your Highness!”
A striking figure with golden hair tied in a low tail stood out. He hurried closer, panting, then offered a deep smile. His eyes, a deep crimson, seemed to soften.
“I have been ordered by His Highness the Crown Prince to provide close protection for Your Highness starting today.”
“Yulion sent you?”
“Yes. I am better than multiple knights.”
He praised himself without hesitation. Then, smoothly, he positioned himself behind me.
“You may call me Ares, Your Highness!”
He was full of energy in both his voice and actions. I started walking and asked,
“Did you just arrive?”
“Oh, no. I came this morning and have been waiting outside.”
Ares seemed to be avoiding my gaze somewhat.
Then where did he just come from?
I suspected Yulion might have sent him to keep an eye on me until he fully trusted me.
“Very well. I look forward to working with you, Sir Ares.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
I didn’t press further and left the palace.
The Tishrit Palace, where the Empress resided, was larger than the Garnet Palace, the Crown Princess’ residence. It had multiple gardens and required a long walk to reach the audience hall.
Upon arrival, the head maid of the Tishrit Palace greeted me. Her gaze was sharp, full of apparent hostility.
“The Empress requests your presence inside.”
The “inside” meant the Emperor’s bedroom. Normally, the Emperor would be at the Sun Palace, but since the Empress constantly cared for him, he had moved his quarters to Tishrit Palace.
Although the Emperor was mostly unconscious and couldn’t converse, proper protocol required at least a greeting.
“Please enter.”
Following the guidance, the inner door opened. I paused as I stepped forward.
Why is the room so… dark?
The windows were covered with blackout curtains, and only a few soft lights were on. A semi-transparent curtain was drawn across the middle of the room, making it hard to see the bed even after entering.
“Have you arrived?”
I sensed movement behind the curtain. Following etiquette, I lifted the hem of my dress slightly and bowed.
“We greet Your Majesties.”
A moment of silence passed. Then, with a rustle, the Empress’ voice came.
“Come closer.”
The curtain drew back.
A red-haired woman with a detached gaze looked down at me.
The current Empress, Psirias Sertijanne. Once the pinnacle of the social scene before the Emperor collapsed, she now devoted herself entirely to the Emperor’s care. Yet her beauty and noble presence remained.
“I heard there was quite a commotion since the wedding day.”
She referred to the incident with Hemion Martin, poisoned by the drug. Being inside the castle at the time, she likely only learned the details later through her maids.
I lowered my gaze.
“I apologize. Thanks to Your Majesty’s understanding, the ceremony was safely held.”
“You created the antidote, correct?”
“Yes. Luckily, I had learned it from my mother in the past.”
“Your mother, huh? I see now.”
The Empress, once a social queen, knew of my mother as well. She paused, then exhaled lazily.
“Crown Princess.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“I’ll be blunt.”
“Please.”
Her tone carried annoyance. Known for her fiery yet straightforward personality, she skipped the trivialities.
She pulled out a small pouch from her sleeve and tossed it toward me.
“You know I do not like the House of Cassian.”
“…Yes.”
“And I dislike the rumors surrounding the Crown Princess as well.”
“My apologies, Your Majesty.”
“However, since you are now part of the family, I will try to treat you without prejudice.”
That was unexpected. The House of Cassian was a rival to the Empress’ family, the House of Viante. Open dislike or confrontation was common, so this was surprisingly fair.
“Thank you, Your Majesty. But… what is this?”
“This is your seal as Crown Princess. Management of the Crown Prince’s palace is now your responsibility. I’ve been handling it alongside you, which has been quite exhausting.”
The Empress pressed her eyes, showing signs of fatigue. After a brief pause, she exhaled deeply.
“Phew. There will be many responsibilities for the Crown Princess. First…”
She paused mid-sentence, closed her eyes again, and took a deep breath. The head maid standing beside her brought forward something she was familiar with.
“Your Majesty.”
“Mm, yes.”
The Empress took the small bottle and instilled the medicine into her eyes. After blinking several times, her expression relaxed, but her gaze toward me remained strange.
“Your Majesty, are you feeling unwell?”
“I’ve made a scene. When you age, ailments appear here and there.”
Her words seemed odd. She had married the current Emperor at sixteen, giving birth to Yulion at seventeen. Yulion is only a year older than me. The Empress is not yet forty—too early to be considering old age.
I continued cautiously, wanting to observe more.
“Your Majesty, you still appear so healthy…”
“Taking care of patients makes my body feel older than my age.”
Indeed, her golden eyes seemed unfocused. Before taking the medicine, her gaze was sharp, but after, it became clouded.
I need to check this.
I couldn’t ignore it. To my knowledge, no medicine for eye conditions would cause such a sudden blur. This could only be a side effect from a substance incompatible with her body or improper administration.
I hesitated for a moment, then carefully spoke.
